Racing is life, everything else is just waiting

Episode 6 of the podcast sees a slightly different approach, On the Saturday prior to the 2015 UCI World Cup SX opener in Manchester I took the opportunity to ‘invade’ the SX practice session and capture some opinions from the world’s best in the lead up to the big event.

Well, after ‘a bit of a break’ (6 months…don’t ask… it can be summed up with the words ‘I’m a slacker’) The BMX Commentator Podcast is back!!

This episode’s guest is the lone female rider on Team GB’s Academy program; Charlotte Green. After a great finish at the Manchester UCI Supercross and a trip to Papendal which didn’t quite work out as planned, injuries took ‘Alice Crackers’ out of circulation for a little while. Now back on the bike and training hard going into 2015, Charlotte sat down with me for a chat after Round 2 of the ‘Racing Under The Roof’ Winter Series in Manchester. We talked about fireworks, Facebook, driving in Manchester v driving in Cornwall and even squeezed in a bit of BMX chat…

Episode 4 of the podcast sees me sit down with Jacob Roberts in the highly glamourous surroundings of a wet and rainy retail park in Preston! Jacob has taken the different route with his racing this year by forming his own one man set up. Sourcing sponsors, employing trainers, raising funds and doing it all outside the confines of a regular team to have things exactly the way he wants them. No one in the UK Elite class is doing it the way he is so I wanted to get the lowdown on why he is doing what he is doing, his struggles to cover from multiple career threatening injuries over the last two years, and what he’s do if he was ever invited back into the Team GB structure.

As always, you can feedback your thoughts via the comments section, Twitter and Instagram (@bmxcommentator) and also on Facebook.

Ok people…I’m super, super stoked to be able to say that I managed to catch up with the modern day BMX icon, Olympic bronze medallist, ex NBL number one pro and now SX co-commentator ‘dR’ Donny Robinson! I’ve been wanting to get dR on the show from the very beginning (not that long ago I know!) and we managed to make it happen.

You know Donny likes to talk and has plenty to say, and he didn’t disappoint. Grab a brew, sit back, and enjoy!

Episode 2 of The BMX Commentator Podcast sees us chat to Team GB Academy athlete Kyle Evans. Hailing from North West England Kyle has rapidly become one of the rising stars of not only British BMX, but BMX worldwide with his smooth, motocross influenced style and fearless riding that sees him hit any jump in his path with no hesitation. Kyle sat down to talk about the realities of being a full time athlete and the shock to the system that greeted his entry to the GB Academy programme, meeting his childhood idol Travis Pastrana, custom painted helmets and much more besides.

Please note: the interview was recorded in a busy hotel lobby due to the circumstances of that day so there is some background noise as we talked. It shouldn’t take away from your enjoyment of the interview but its not a scenario we’ll be looking repeat any time soon. If you wanna get in touch, then leave a comment or hit up the social media (Twitter/Instagram @bmxcommentator)https://bmxcommentator.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/bmxcommentator-ep2.mp3

Finally, I’ve figured out how to get the podcasts posted to the blog for your listening pleasure! A historical moment no less, as the first episode of the bmxcommentator.com podcast is now available to listen to on the website. Every episode will be posted here, and I’m working on getting everything uploaded to iTunes in the not too distant future.

So, the very first guest is Cal Strickland. If you are not familiar with Cal, he’s basically radder than a free bar at the Playboy mansion! A firm fixture in the UK Elite class and super smooth with plenty of speed, he unfortunately took a huge wreck at the 2014 Winter Series event at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester resulting in a laundry list of injuries. I caught up with Cal during his subsequent recovery phase and talked about the crash, the recovery, trips to the US and plans for 2014. Its all in the audio and I’d just like to thank Cal for being a great guest as well as the first one.

Kick back, grab a drink and listen to what Cal has to say. I hope you like it.

Well, you’ve made it to the bmxcommentator blog. I’m really glad you’ve opted to stop by here and see what its all about and I hope you enjoy it enough to come back on a regular basis. I bet you are wondering what this online effort is all about, so let me explain.

I’ve been into BMX for 30 years at the time of writing this post, its been my entire life and probably always will be. Its an addiction I can’t shake, nor do I want to and I’m passionate about racing and the people around it. My heart still races when I hear the gate command “OK riders…random start’ and I could almost be up there with the riders, every single lap, every single time.

The blog and podcast came about because I got the unstoppable urge to present the sport in a positive light, to give riders an opportunity to be heard, to speak and present themselves in a way that benefits them and allows ‘the fans’ to get a real picture of how they are on and off the track. In addition to this, I aim to bring people from inside and outside the sport of BMX racing who have the skills, talents, abilities and knowledge to make you a better BMX racer, maybe even a better human being. To affect you in a positive way both on and off the track and hopefully make a difference in your life.

I don’t have all the answers, nor do I claim to do so. All I know is that BMX racing is the best sport in the world, the riders are true athletes and warriors. My intention is to do them, and you, proud by presenting them in the best possible light whilst keeping the listeners entertained and inspired.

This is the start, we are literally on the gate and watching the lights…. Come and join us, there’s room in BMX for everyone.